Category: Blog

The electronics industry is a great way to make a profit while running your own business. Most people in the United States, and across the world, own multiple electronic items such as laptops, desktops, mobile phones, and more. As our work and entertainment becomes increasingly more dominated by technology, consumers need to purchase more devices (and keep their devices upgraded).

It can be intimidating to find reputable wholesale dealers to source inventory from. You will have to compete for customers’ attention with both big box retail stores as well as thousands of small businesses. By following these simple tips, you can make sure your business will be successful and profitable for years to come.

1) Find a Niche

It can be tempting when you first open an electronics retail shop (or even just an eBay store) to determine what types of electronics you want to sell. You may feel your best option is to stock a little bit of every type of device you possibly can get. This is tempting because it allows you to not have to spend the time and energy necessary to search out specific types or brands of products. However, this strategy can actually be detrimental to your business in the long term. When you work in the electronics industry, you will need to be knowledgeable about the products you sell. You may even be required to fix or upgrade computers and other electronic devices. While some knowledge is universal across brands and device types, many things that you need to know are not.

By focusing on a specific category of brand or item, you will give yourself the time and energy to become proficient in that category. You will quickly learn how the item works, what the pitfalls of selling it are, and which wholesale dealers provide the best value for your niche.

2) Avoid Popular Products

It may seem counter-intuitive to ignore (or at least not prioritize) popular products. After all, don’t you want to sell in demand products that consumers are willing to pay a lot of money for? Of course you do! The problem is…so does everyone else.

When you are first starting out with your business, you will probably not have the funds to compete with larger businesses that have more buying power for these in demand products. If a specific brand or type of electronic device is very popular, many businesses will be bidding or sending offers on the items. Of course you do not want to purchase unpopular items for resale either! Finding the exact type of item that strikes a balance between desirable enough to make money on but not so popular that there is a lot of competition can be difficult, but doing the work to discover and source this type of item will be well worth it.

3) Focus On Reputable Wholesale Dealers

This may seem obvious, but many small businesses fall for scams and tricks from disreputable companies when they are first starting to source inventory for resale. Unfortunately the electronics industry seems to attract a lot of shady sellers. Make sure you do thorough research on any wholesale dealer before purchasing products. Check to see if there have been any complaints filed against them by other small businesses. You can also ask them for references to other businesses they have worked with in the past and see what others’ experiences with this wholesale dealer have been like.

4) Negotiate Freight Shipping Rates

Many small businesses forget that even if they find a great deal on wholesale electronics for resale, they will have to ship the items to their location. Freight charges can get very expensive, very quickly. These freight charges will only add to your costs and can suck away any potential profits. Most of the time, the business buying the merchandise will be expected to pay shipping costs. Make sure you check around with many different freight providers so you can compare costs for shipping your goods. Also, make sure to check other factors such as the delivery time and reputation of the freight provider.

ELEMS LTD can help you arrange shipping and connect you with reliable freight shipping service provides to get you your merchandise quickly and safely.

5) Contact Suppliers Like ELEMS LTD Directly

Many wholesale dealers such as ELEMS LTD get new goods in constantly. If you do not see anything that interests you right now, there is an excellent chance those items will be available in the near future.

Contact us today and let us know what types of items you are looking to buy. We can then alert you when they become available, oftentimes before the inventory list even goes out to the general public.

Even with the exciting news that an effective vaccine is on the way, the fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over quite yet.  Businesses still need to be careful and work diligently to keep their employees and customers safe.  Besides quarantining sick or possibly exposed people and washing hands frequently (or using hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available), one of the most effective things employers can do is encourage their employees to wear face masks.  Face masks should be worn whenever an employee is in contact with other people, whether they be other employees or clients.  The face masks should always cover both the nose and the mouth and should fit securely.

However, there are many types of face masks on the market.  When looking to buy face masks in bulk, it can be hard to determine which type to invest in.  Employers are often left wondering: What are the differences between KN95, N95, KF94, surgical, or cloth masks? Which type of mask should I provide my staff?

The answers of course depend on the situation you’re in and what your budget is.  In this article, we will discuss the different types of face masks available for purchase and help you decide which to purchase for your unique situation.

Cloth or T-shirt Masks

You can see these types of masks everywhere you look these days.  That’s because they are the least expensive and easiest to find.  Many people believe they are also the most comfortable type of mask because they are made of soft material, breathable, and mold to the face easily.  That being said, they are breathable because they are the least effective.  A single layer cotton face mask can, in some cases, only filter out about 1% of dangerous particles.  If you are going to use cloth masks, make sure they are at least double layer masks.  Double layers can increase your level of protection as they filter out about 35% of particles – a huge improvement over the single layer masks.

Some cloth masks also come with a pocket where the user can add an extra filter.  This is the best option if you want (or have to) use a cloth type face mask.  All cloth masks can be washed and re-worn again and again, which is another benefit of cloth masks.

3 Ply Surgical Masks

You’ll often see these 3 ply surgical masks in doctor’s offices or hospital settings.  They were originally designed to protect against large respiratory droplets or bodily fluid sprays.  These masks are effective at reducing transmission of viruses when worn by an infected person because they help prevent the spray of respiratory droplets from that infected person.  These masks should always be thrown away after use and you should be careful not to touch the outside of the mask if you believe you may have been exposed to a sick person.

KF94 Masks

KF94 masks are very similar to the highly sought after N95 masks.  They are made in South Korea and provide 94% protection against dangerous particles, like the particles containing COVID-19 and other bacteria or viruses.  These masks are a good option for workplaces that require their staff to have a higher level of protection than what other masks, like cloth masks, can provide.  ELEMS has KF94 masks in stock and ready to ship at a variety of quantities.

KN95 Masks

KN95 are the N95 equivalents.  They filter out 95% of harmful particles in the air and are also very effective at preventing the transmission of COVID-19 and other viruses when worn by a person who has the virus. KN95 masks typically use loops around the ears instead of an elastic band around the head, so many people believe they are more comfortable than the traditional N95 masks. ELEMS offers KN95 masks in bulk quantities, available to ship immediately.

Knowing the setting you plan to use your masks in, your budget, and your other needs will help you determine which type of mask is best to keep your staff safe until the end of this global pandemic.  If you have any questions about what type of mask to choose, pricing, or quantities to order, please contact us anytime.

The office’s phone system isn’t something most small business owners like to think too much about. After all, you use your business’s phone system to place and receive calls and messages, but you don’t use it for much else. It certainly doesn’t hold the almost glamorous appeal of laptops, desktops, or smart phones. As long as it’s working, there usually isn’t much need or desire to think about the office phones.

However, your office phone system is actually quite important. Even though lots of people like to discuss business over email, there are still plenty of potential clients that like to create business deals over the phone. Furthermore, customers who want to speak with a representative of your company may get frustrated if they can’t get through to someone to help with a problem.

There are many things to consider when choosing a phone system and hardware for your small business. How many employees will be using the phone system? What is your budget? How reliable is the service? What options (like call forwarding, voice mail, and menus) do you need? What kind of contract will you be required to sign? All of these questions and more must be answered before making a purchase.

8×8

8×8 is a US based VoIP provider, and they come highly recommended by many small and medium sized business owners. This company offers many features with their service including voicemail, call forwarding, unlimited calling and faxing, and more. You won’t need PBX-style hardware or a specialized IT support staff to maintain your phone system either.

Mitel

Mitel is one of the most widely-recognized service providers out there. They hoffer a wide range of services in every price range to meet your business’s phone system needs. Mitel’s call center technology allows your system to integrate with existing programs like Salesforce. Mitel also offers other features like multi-line IP phones, customer identity features, conference and video phone units, and much more.

Cisco

Cisco is one of the largest networking companies in the world. The Cisco brand is widely recognized as reliable and of high-quality. Cisco systems are perfect for people who still want to use PBX style hardware. Cisco offers many of the features small business owners need such as voicemail, messaging, voice and video calling, and many other options.

If you find that you have to upgrade your phone system, do your research and make sure you are getting a phone service that has all the features your business needs to thrive. If you decide to upgrade or change out your phone system and need to buy or sell your phone system hardware, feel free to contact us to help you save money on a purchase or maximize your profits from the sale of your hardware.

The market for pre-owned computers and technology equipment is growing, and it is expected to continue growing through 2025 and beyond. Fast-evolving technology is making computers incredibly affordable, buy many people are saving even more money bypassing new computers for used ones that still have plenty of life left in them. This is creating a great opportunity for small business owners who may want to buy and sell used computers in bulk.

However, buying wholesale used computers isn’t always easy. This business endeavor requires a large amount of money, time, and effort to be successful. There are a lot of scammers all over the world just waiting to prey upon inexperienced small business owners looking for new wholesale technology suppliers. Here are some simple tips you can use to make sure you are getting a fair deal on used technology equipment.

Verify The Supplier’s Reputation Before Buying Used Computers

In order to effectively buy used bulk computers for resale, you will have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars at a time. You will definitely want to verify the supplier’s reputation before sending them your hard-earned money. A simple Google search is a good place to start. Other buyers will often post scammers’ information on forums and websites dedicated to wholesale buying and selling. You can also check places like the Better Business Bureau for complaints against the supplier.

In addition to verifying the company, ask for the name(s) of the CEO and other relevant people in the business. You will want to verify them as well because sometimes scammers can hide behind their business name.

Ask For References

Many times, verifying the company via Google and the BBB just isn’t enough to be safe. Ask the supplier for the names and contact information of other companies that have bought from them in the past six months. You can call these companies directly and speak with them about their experiences with your prospective supplier. Ask them what the buying process was like, how easy the supplier was to work with, and the quality of the goods supplied.

Avoid Membership Fees When Buying Refurbished Technology Equipment

A very common scam in the wholesale world is to ask prospective buyers to pay a membership fee to join a site or receive information about what goods they have for sale. A legitimate wholesale supplier will not charge you to do business with you. They want your business and won’t charge you anything except the cost of the goods.

Always use common sense when dealing with a new wholesale computer supplier. If the prices and products are too good to be true, they probably aren’t! If the supplier is a poor communicator, dodges reasonable questions, or refuses to offer references they are probably a scammer.

Buying wholesale computers, laptops, and other technology equipment in bulk can be risky, but if you practice common sense buying and selling computers in bulk can be a great business venture that has lots of potential for the future.